Internal combustion engines obtain their power from a combination of heat and pressure produced by the combustion of an air-fuel mixture inside a cylinder disposed within the block of the engine. Conventional combustion engines utilize a spark to ignite the air-fuel mixture that has been introduced into the cylinder. Typical ignition systems for a combustion engine include a battery, distributor, ignition switch, spark plug wires and spark plugs. The spark plugs are releasably secured into the cylinder having a portion that ignites the air-fuel mixture through a production of timed sparks between the spark plugs electrodes subsequent a received ignition voltage.
The spark plug wires are typically manufactured so as to electrically couple the spark plug with the distributor. The routing of the spark plug wires from the distributor to each spark plug of the internal combustion engine typically involves the passage of the wire such that the spark plug wires are adjacent high heat sources such as but not limited to exhaust manifolds or headers. Conventional internal combustion engines will typically experience failure with the spark plug wires as the wires prematurely fail due to heat fatigue. The failure of the spark plug wires has shown to lead to engine malfunctions which inconveniences the owner and can result in a costly repair expense.
One problem with existing spark plug wires is that their terminal body that is releasably secured to the portion of the spark plug extending from the cylinder is terminal body can often crack and separate after prolonged exposure to the heat of the engine. The terminal body is typically adjacent the engine block and is further proximate a high heat source such as an exhaust manifold. As part of routine maintenance, vehicle owners will periodically change the spark plugs. During the changing of the spark plugs, the terminal body of the spark plug wire is often grasped and pulled so as to release the terminal body from the spark plug. Often, as a result of exposure to high heat, the terminal body cracks or disintegrates, which requires the entire sparkplug wire to be replaced creating a greater expense for the owner.
Accordingly, there is a need for a spark plug wire that has a terminal body that includes at least one gripping means that is constructed to endure prolonged exposure to heat and will facilitate an improved de-coupling of the terminal body from the spark plug so as to substantially avoid damage to the terminal body.